


The way that I love you

by Nightworldlove



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Soft and tender, Tenderness, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24144643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightworldlove/pseuds/Nightworldlove
Summary: Catra and Adora spend the day at home, reminiscing some memories while simultaneously making new ones.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 77





	The way that I love you

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! It is finiiiiiished! So this was going to be a short one-shot fluff fic... And then it turned into a 7.6k fluff fic, oops? :') So it isn't canon-compliant exactly, but Adora and Catra did grow up together (in the Fright Zone). I'll tell a bit more in the end-notes, as I don't want to give anything away before you guys read it c;
> 
> Thanks to Dave and Serena for throwing some ideas at me when I got stuck, also huge thanks to Dave for (proof)reading for me and giving me the confidence I needed to finish writing this o3o
> 
> Hasn't been beta'd, if you find any typos, please feel free to alert me. Please let me know what you think by commenting? It really validates and motivates us writers to keep doing what we do, it means the world to us when people leave comments! <3
> 
> Enjoy! o3o

A loving smile decorated Adora’s face as she watched the girl in her arms sleep peacefully, chest rising and falling slowly and steadily. It was the middle of the night, but Adora couldn’t fall asleep for some unknown reason. She didn’t mind though, as she felt content watching Catra as she slept. 

Every time Adora shifted slightly, Catra’s grip on Adora would tighten a bit. Every time it sent a painful pang to Adora’s heart, still feeling incredibly guilty, even after all those years. 

Catra had forgiven her and they were extremely happy together, but at moments like these Adora was reminded of the mistake she had made in the past and had hurt Catra tremendously. 

“Adora…” Adora was pulled from her thoughts by Catra’s softly muttering her name. Adora smiled and brushed some hair from Catra’s face, tucking it behind her ear.

“I’m here, Catra. I’m right here with you,” Adora answered in a whisper. She leaned down and pressed a kiss on top of Catra’s hair. Adora felt her heart beat a little faster when Catra’s lips curled up into a small smile and hummed contently. Adora let out a sigh as she continued to caress Catra’s hair, the brunette made her so happy, it was hard to imagine a life without her. She didn’t _want_ to imagine a life without her. 

She wasn’t going to leave _ever_ again, if she could help it. Adora would climb the highest mountains if she had to, whatever it would take, just so they would stay together. 

Adora took her eyes off of Catra and looked out of the big window in their bedroom, the sky still dark but sprinkled with stars. The moon was somewhere in the sky, but out of view. 

“Adora?” Catra’s voice sounded drowsy and drunk with sleep still, but it caught Adora’s attention immediately. 

“Hey Catra. Sorry, did I wake you up?” she asked, apologetically. But Catra shook her head, calming down Adora’s heart. 

“Why are you awake?” Adora shrugged, she couldn’t answer that question, because she didn’t know the answer to it, herself. “What’s bothering you?” Catra asked and gently took Adora’s chin between her fingers, making the blonde look at her. 

“Nothing…?” Adora tried, but they both knew very well that wasn’t true. She let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping. “The usual, I guess....” She felt Catra’s body shift, the brunette moving her body upwards until their faces were at the same height. 

“Adora…” 

“Sorry…” 

“You know you don’t need to apologize, it hurts me to see you like this.” Catra rested her forehead against Adora’s and gently pressed her lips against those of Adora. “I love you.” 

Adora froze and stared at Catra with wide eyes. “...What?” Catra wasn’t one to be so ‘mushy’, as the brunette called it. It took Adora by surprise to hear Catra say those three words to her, it made her heart jump and melt simultaneously. 

“You heard what I said, nerd.” Adora chuckled at that and Catra grinned in response. “I like that expression better on you,” Catra whispered, ignoring the way Adora rolled her eyes.

“I love you too, Catra,” Adora replied, and gently kissed the brunette. 

“Sure hope so, or it’d be pretty awkward…” Catra said as she leaned back a bit. Adora stuck her tongue out in response. Catra smirked and nipped at Adora’s tongue playfully, her tail wrapping itself loosely around the blonde’s waist. 

They realized the sun had started rising as they looked out of the window. The sky’s blues were slowly getting lighter, with deep oranges appearing on the horizon, followed by streaks of gold as the sun slowly ascended into the sky.

“Good morning, fluffykins,” Adora whispered softly. She ignored the low hiss Catra produced and kissed her instead. The brunette huffed and rolled with her eyes, but answered the kiss more than willingly.

“‘Morning babe,” Catra breathed and rubbed her cheek against Adora’s, her tail tickling the side of her girlfriend’s exposed stomach. “What’s for breakfast?” 

“How should I know?” Adora replied, scoffing with a grin. “Okay, _fine_. What would you want for breakfast?” 

“You.” Adora felt her cheeks heat up significantly at Catra’s response, her heart fluttering in her chest.

“I meant food-wise,” she clarified, her voice somewhat shaky. Catra smirked and pressed kisses onto Adora’s neck, biting down on the sensitive skin and eliciting a soft moan from her girlfriend.

“Aw, so you’re not food?” Catra heard Adora sigh and just _knew_ the blonde was rolling her eyes. “I could go for some pancakes, then.” 

“If you want pancakes, you’d have to let me get out of bed. _Fluffykins_ ,” Adora said, teasing the brunette by using the pet name. Catra glared at Adora for a few moments, then rolled off of her tall girlfriend, releasing her. “Love you too, Catra.” 

Adora yelped as she felt teeth bite down on her neck, although this time, thank goodness, it wasn’t too hard of a bite. 

“Catra, _please!_ You want me to get burnt?” Adora didn’t turn to look at Catra, but instead kept her focus on the pancake in the pan on the stove. “I know you’re hungry, but you have to be a _little_ more patient. They’re almost done,” Adora continued and flipped the pancake perfectly.

“Nice, it didn’t land on the floor this time,” Catra teased with a grin. “I’m proud.”

“Catra, I swear to—" Adora sucked in a breath, nearly dropping the pan as she felt Catra’s hands on the bottom of her breasts underneath her sleeping shirt. 

“Sorry, am I distracting you?” Catra asked with feigned innocence. 

“Nope. Not at _all_.” Adora swallowed, turned off the stove and flipped the pancake onto the stack, which she had put on a plate on the counter earlier. “Here’s your breakfast.” 

“Thanks, babe,” Catra answered, took the plate of pancakes and smacked Adora’s ass as she walked off; leaving Adora with deep blushing cheeks. 

They didn’t speak, just looked at each other lovingly while Catra fed Adora pieces of the last pancake. When the last piece disappeared into Adora’s mouth, Catra rested her chin in the palm of her hand while watching how Adora savored the last bit of pancake for as long as she could.

Adora finally swallowed and slowly opened her eyes while simultaneously turning to face Catra, flashing her girlfriend a sly smirk. “Tastes almost as good as you.” 

“Well, that’s on you. I offered it earlier, but _no_.” She got up and put their plates and cutlery in the sink, then turned back around to face Adora and hoisted herself onto the counter. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you’re stuffed—” 

Adora got up so fast, she nearly caused her chair to fall backwards. She got to Catra and pressed her lips on Catra’s; silencing the brunette. Almost immediately Adora felt Catra lean into the kiss, wrapping her arms loosely around Adora’s neck. Her own hands found Catra’s cheeks and cupped them gently, her thumbs caressing the soft hairs at the edge of Catra’s hairline. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she felt how Catra’s tail wrapped around her waist when she stood in between Catra’s knees. Her mind spun as Catra literally took her breath away as their tongues bumped into each other and Catra’s played with the piercing in her own. 

A shiver went through Catra’s spine and tail as she heard Adora whimper softly, causing her cheeks to get even warmer under Adora’s hands. Her mind raced, but felt calm while Adora was all that occupied it. Her heart was buzzing in her chest like a hummingbird’s wings, her stomach tingling as Adora deepened their kiss by pressing herself closer to Catra. Her legs wrapped themselves around Adora’s, and her feet rested against the bottom of Adora’s buttocks; bringing the blonde’s body as close as physically possible. 

Adora only broke their kiss momentarily, to suck in some air, before crashing her lips into Catra’s again. Her exhale resulted in a giggle as she felt Catra’s teeth on her lower lip, asking for permission. Adora managed to nod once before parting her lips, her tongue quickly finding Catra’s again. Her hands moved slowly, making their way into Catra’s wild curls. When the tips of her fingers brushed the edge of Catra’s ears, near the base, Adora could _feel_ the brunette stiffen under her touch. Catra’s nails pressed into the back of her neck, then relaxed again. 

This time Catra broke their kiss, eyes lidded and vision still hazy. Her breathing was slightly uneven as the adrenaline rushed through her body. Her lips curled up into a smile as she rested her forehead against Adora’s. 

“Geez, Adora. I’d almost think you’re trying to make a move on me,” Catra teased. As she leaned back, she winked at her girlfriend, who stared at her with an open mouth. 

Adora rolled her eyes and removed her hands from Catra’s hair, only to cross her arms over her chest. “Says the one who pulled me closer and wrapped her legs and tail around me.” 

“Oh no! She got me there, whatever shall I do?” Catra exclaimed theatrically, including the back of her hand resting against her forehead. 

Uselessly Adora tried to keep herself from laughing, as she snorted loudly. “Clearly DT has been rubbing off on you,” she stated, trying to force her expression back to being stern again, to no avail.

“They have not!” 

“ _Right_ , because you’ve always been this theatrical yourself.” Adora chuckled heartily as Catra now crossed her arms like Adora had just a few moments ago. “You can’t fool me, _fluffykins_.” As she noticed the shift in Catra’s body language and facial expression, Adora spun around and fled the kitchen. 

“Come back here!”

“How about you try to come and get me instead?” They _both_ knew there was not a single doubt of who would win it, as Catra was much faster than Adora. 

The apartment was filled with cheerful laughter as Adora was being chased by Catra, who kept missing Adora by just a breath’s length. Adora made use of all the furniture she possibly could, to try and keep Catra from catching her. As soon as she looked behind her to see if Catra was close, Adora realized she had made a mistake. This was proven by Catra who sprung onto her from the side and felt herself fall towards the floor. Her body never made contact with it, as Catra held on to her with a wicked grin. 

“Hey _Adora_ ,” Catra whispered, then winked playfully. The blush that spread on Adora’s cheeks caused her heart to leap in her chest. “Got you…” 

Her ears twitched as they picked up some sound from behind her, Catra turned her head and her eyes met Adora’s. She blinked several times, waiting for Adora to say something. As Adora just continued to smile at her, Catra raised one of her eyebrows. When something suddenly appeared in her vision, she nearly flinched, only to discover it was a mug that Adora was holding out to her. 

“Oh… Thanks babe,” she said as she took the mug from Adora. Her cheeks felt warm as she blushed, blowing the steam from her tea. From the corner of her eye, Catra witnessed Adora sitting down next to her. “How was your work-out?” 

“Intense, but it felt good.” Adora leaned over to press a kiss on Catra’s rosy, freckled cheek. Her eyes took in the drawing Catra had been working on and smiled lovingly, admiring her girlfriend’s artistic skills. “It looks really good, you’ve improved so much.” Adora didn’t miss the way Catra’s cheeks flushed again and took on an even darker hue of pink while sipping on her tea. 

“I mean… I guess?” Catra mumbled, not removing the mug from her lips. She felt a shiver go through her back as the tips of Adora’s fingers brushed some of her hair behind her ear, exposing her face a bit more. A shuddery breath slipped through her parted lips, creating ripples on the surface of her tea. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest while flutters filled her stomach as Adora’s fingers raked through her curls. When Catra glanced sideways, her face turned even more red as her eyes caught Adora’s being focused on her. “W-what?” Her voice was not nearly as snarky as had been her intention, instead it sounded nervous.

Adora couldn’t help but giggle softly, then rested her forehead against the side of Catra’s head, just below the brunette’s fluffy ear. “I just … I love you, Catra.” Adora closed her eyes with a smile, pressing a kiss against the soft skin of Catra’s jaw. 

“You dork, I know.” Catra shook her head slightly, then set her mug down on the table and picked the pencil up again. “Love you too.” She tried to focus on drawing, though Adora wasn’t making it very easy for her, as the blonde kept pressing kisses against Catra’s skin. “Do you mind?” Catra chuckled as she shook her shoulder, shrugging Adora off. 

“Not at all,” Adora answered innocently, not stopping peppering Catra with kisses wherever her lips could reach. “Why? Am I distracting you?” 

“Okay, alright. I get it, you’re just trying to get back at me for earlier, huh?” 

“Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?” Catra let out a sigh and shook her head, and her lips curled up into a grin. 

“How about you join me, color for a bit. We can do … other things once I’m done.” Apparently Adora was satisfied with that suggestion, as Catra felt Adora sit up straight. “The coloring pencils are over there,” Catra said, pointing at them with the pencil in her hand. “They’re the good ones, so please don’t put too much pressure on them.” 

“I will be very gentle with them, babe. Promise,” Adora assured before grabbing the tin with coloring pencils and grabbing the coloring book from the corner of the table. 

Catra watched with a smile as Adora started coloring, holding the pencil lightly in her hand, as promised. She noticed how Adora had clearly remembered the advice Catra had given her quite a while ago; moving the pencil back and forth in one direction, then starting at the top again and moving the pencil back and forth in a different direction. Applying layer after layer until Adora was satisfied with the intensity of the color. 

Before it could go completely cold, Catra finished her tea and set the mug down far enough away so it couldn’t accidentally be knocked over. They sat in relative silence as their pencils moved on the paper in front of them, music softly playing in the background. 

Every now and then, Catra would glance sideways to look at Adora for reference, then look back at her drawing again. It was coming along pretty nicely, though she wondered if the amount of details was too much or not. Her thoughts started to drift off, thinking back to the moment of the scene that she was currently drawing.

  
  
  


Neither of them had said a word, despite the fact that quite some time had passed by now. Catra’s hair was still wrapped into a towel on top of her head, while she was now dressed in sweatpants and her sleeping shirt. Her eyes quickly found Adora, sitting in the windowsill and gazing outside. As if the weather reflected them, it was dark outside with rain pouring down hard. Every now and then there was loud rumbling as thunder sounded, with lightning in the far distance lighting up the sky for a few seconds only a fraction later. 

Catra’s heart felt heavy, but was beating rapidly in her chest as she watched Adora. Blonde hair draped over her shoulders, framing her face, she had one knee pulled up to her chest, with arms wrapped around it. The other leg was gently swinging back and forth, which caused Adora’s socked toes to brush over the floor with every sweep. Gray-blue eyes were reflected in the window, giving the impression Adora was looking at her, though Catra knew better. 

She was so beautiful it nearly hurt, Catra wanted to turn around to stop staring at Adora, but she was unable to move. Her body was frozen in place, no matter how hard her thoughts yelled to _move_ , Catra couldn’t get her body to respond. Her heart ached as a void in her core threatened to swallow her whole, it was absolutely terrifying. 

When her eyes shifted slightly, Adora noticed Catra in the reflection of the window. The brunette stood close to the door opening, frozen, looking at her. Adora knew Catra well enough to recognize the look in Catra’s blue and golden brown eyes, which caused her heart to squeeze painfully. She wanted to speak, to break the silence, but couldn’t. Her mind was racing, thinking of what she could possibly say, what she possibly _should_ say. No matter how hard she tried, the words didn’t get to her lips, not even when she finally managed to part them. All that came out was a shaky breath which fogged up the window in front of her momentarily, blurring Catra’s reflection. 

Tears started welling up in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over any second now. As much as Adora wanted to, she didn’t have the strength nor the energy to try and hold them back. And so, tears spilled. Trickling down her cheekbones to quickly find her lips, jaw and chin. When the first tear fell onto the fabric of her pants, something inside her shattered. Even more so when she heard a soft sniffling sound, her heart felt like it was slowly being crushed. 

Her leg stopped moving and Adora finally managed to turn her head, to face a crying Catra. “C-Catra…” Adora’s voice was hoarse, barely audible. “Pl-please don’t cry…” It sounded absolutely ridiculous, especially because tears were rolling down her own face as she said it. 

At Adora’s sudden movement, Catra felt her body flinch while sharply inhaling a gulp of air. She could feel her heart pounding in the base of her throat, while its beating nearly deafened her. Her ears twitched at the sound of Adora’s voice, which sounded hoarse as if the blonde was dehydrated. Her mind kept repeating Adora’s name, over and over and over again. 

Only when Adora pleaded her not to cry, Catra realized tears had been rolling down her cheeks. Her legs suddenly felt weak and extremely heavy, shaky as if they were barely able to carry her weight. “Ado-Adora—” Catra squeaked, before collapsing onto the floor. The towel came undone and fell down, uncovering her still damp, wild curls. Catra’s shoulders shook as she started to sob violently, unable to stop or even hold back. It was as if the floodgates had broken, causing a wave to finally wash through. 

Something inside her snapped as she heard Catra’s voice squeak out her name, to then watch Catra collapse onto the floor. “Catra!” Adora realized it was her voice, though it sounded so far away that she wasn’t entirely convinced it was her who called out for Catra. Her body responded instinctively, instantly running over to the brunette. Adora dropped on her knees and wrapped her arms around Catra’s upper body, feeling the shorter woman cling to her like she was a lifeline. Her cheek was pressed against the crown of Catra’s head, while Catra’s cheek rested against her chest. 

“I-I’m so-sorry—”

“Shhh, I k-know,” Adora interrupted, caressing Catra’s hair soothingly. There was a lot they had to talk about, but it would have to wait. Adora felt emotionally drained and was fairly certain Catra was as well. “Let’s move to the couch, okay?” 

“Not sure i-if I c-can…” 

Adora squeezed Catra a bit tighter against herself, then leaned back a little to look at the brunette. “I’ll carry you.” As she saw Catra’s eyes widen at her offer, Adora smiled weakly. “Only if that’s okay with you, of course.” A few seconds passed before Catra finally nodded and allowed Adora to scoop her off the floor and into Adora’s arms. 

Catra shook her head when she felt Adora shake her gently, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Wait, what?” 

“Where did you go?” 

“Nowhere?” Catra raised a brow as Adora kept staring at her.

“You were miles away, Catra. Or at least your mind was. Are you alright?” Catra looked at Adora and noticed the concern in her girlfriend’s gray-blue eyes. Her lips curled up slightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes and it was clear that Adora could tell. “What were you thinking of?” Adora looked down at Catra’s drawing and Catra could see perfectly when realization kicked in. “Oh.” 

“Didn’t mean to— You just looked so beautiful…” Catra turned away as her cheeks flushed, only to feel Adora’s fingers gently taking hold of her chin to make her face the blonde again. She bit her lip while her eyes still refused to meet Adora’s.

“Babe, would you please look at me?” Adora asked softly. After a few seconds, Catra’s eyes finally met hers, causing Adora to smile lovingly. “There’s nothing wrong with those memories. Yes, they’re a bit … painful. But we worked things out in the end, didn’t we?” Catra nodded. “You looked pretty gorgeous yourself, you know?” This time Catra snorted, clearly doubting Adora’s statement. 

“A gorgeous mess, maybe.” Adora shook her head, to which Catra rolled her eyes. “If you say so,” she finally said with a shrug. 

“We both went through a lot, especially that day. Come here.” Adora spoke softly and held her arms out, for Catra to snuggle against her and be embraced by Adora. “I was so scared…” she whispered. 

“I—” Catra swallowed, then inhaled deeply before continuing. “I was too…” she confessed. “I was so afraid I’d lost you.” Catra looked up at Adora with a wry smile. “I instantly regretted yelling at you like that, but in the moment I couldn’t stop myself.” 

“I deserved it, Catra.” 

“No, you didn’t. You came to me to apologize, but I didn’t even give you that chance… Instead I yelled at you, I _hurt_ you—” 

“Like I had hurt _you._ ” Their eyes met and neither of them spoke for a few minutes. “I left you when you needed me the most and I still can’t forgive myself for that. Honestly I am not sure what I would have done if you hadn’t yelled at me, in a weird way it was what I needed, I think.” Adora let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, remembering how she had just watched Catra yell at her, frozen in place.

Catra leaned up to press a kiss against Adora’s lips, causing the blonde to open her eyes again. “Adora, I… I love you,” she whispered softly, truthfully. “That day my heart started to heal again.” A smile formed on her lips, relieved to see Adora respond in kind. 

“I was _such_ an idiot,” Adora said with a chuckle, shaking her head at her past self.

“Yes, you were. But you’re _my_ idiot,” Catra replied before flashing Adora a cheeky grin and pressing her lips against Adora’s again. 

Adora parted her lips as she felt Catra’s tongue brush against them, deepening the kiss more than willingly. A giggle echoed into Catra’s mouth as Adora felt Catra’s tail wrap around her arm; the fluffy tip tickling her underarm. Nevertheless, Adora refused to break their kiss. Instead, she pulled Catra even closer, pressing their upper bodies against each other. 

Somehow Catra had gotten onto Adora’s lap as they continued to make out, Catra’s hands were now cupping Adora’s cheeks, while Adora’s hands rested on her lower back. Their tongues moved at a lazy, slow pace. Catra’s hands trailed into Adora’s hair and pulled out the elastic, releasing a blanket of gold onto Adora’s shoulders and the back of the chair. She pulled away to catch her breath, and to look at her girlfriend’s flushed face. Adora was beautiful and Catra felt herself smile lovingly. 

“What, is there something on my face?” Catra chuckled as she shook her head in response. “Then what is it?” 

Catra leaned closer again until her face was besides Adora’s and her lips were close to the shell of Adora’s ear. “Just that you’re beautiful,” Catra whispered softly as she felt her heart hum in her chest. “Don’t move,” she said and turned around. She grabbed her drawing pad and pencil she’d been using earlier and flipped the page, to find a blank one. 

“Really Catra?” 

“Shh,” Catra whispered and placed her pencil against Adora’s lips. “Just… Please let me?” she asked, to which Adora nodded. “Thanks babe, just turn your face a tiny bit to the side…” Adora obliged and turned her face the slightest bit as Catra had requested. “Perfect,” Catra muttered and started sketching. 

“It’s a rough sketch, but… I will fix it later.” Adora let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, then stretched out her arms and yawned. 

“Can I see it?” she asked curiously, smiling when Catra nodded and turned over the drawing pad. As soon as her eyes took in the so-called ‘sketch’, Adora’s jaw dropped. “Catra, this—” She reached out, her fingertips barely touching the paper. completely awestruck. 

“—is just a sketch, yes.” 

Adora shook her head in protest, “No, that’s not what I meant— I _know_ you said it’s a ‘sketch’, but… It is amazing… Are you _sure_ that’s me? I don’t look _that_ … beautiful—”

“Alright, princess. I’m going to stop you right there. You _are,_ in fact, _that_ beautiful, to _me_.” Catra placed the drawing pad down on the table, along with the pencil before turning back to face Adora again. “That is how I see you, babe. Beautiful in every way,” Catra explained, her voice soft. She felt her cheeks burn, which meant she was blushing, though she wasn’t the only one. Adora’s cheeks had also taken on a deep pink hue. “Even if you don’t see it,” Catra added while gently caressing Adora’s warm cheek. “You are so gorgeous, Adora.” 

As she was at a loss for words, Adora instead pulled Catra closer to press her lips against Catra’s, pouring all of the love she felt for the brunette into it. As if the movement of her lips and tongue could tell Catra how much she meant to Adora. How happy Catra made her and how incredibly grateful she was to have Catra beside her every morning when she woke up. The way Catra made her heart surge at the smallest things, like when Catra’s fingers intertwined with hers or played with her hair; Adora could only hope. 

The way Adora kissed her made Catra feel as light as a feather, her skin tingled everywhere Adora’s touched hers. Shivers went up her back as she felt Adora’s hands creep underneath her sleep shirt, caressing her bare skin softly only to leave goosebumps in their wake. Catra failed to keep herself from purring when Adora’s fingertips caressed her skin up and down repeatedly. 

“Seems like today we’re just reviving memories, huh?” Catra breathed as she pulled back, only meant to catch her breath. She couldn’t help but giggle at Adora’s confused expression. “Doesn’t this feel familiar to you?” She patiently waited, giving Adora’s mind plenty of time to clear and catch up. Catra’s lips left a trail of kisses on Adora’s jaw, chin and neck, while her ears twitched at every sound Adora produced in response. “Or have you forgotten about our first time…?” More kisses along the edge of Adora’s ear and jawline, then down the side of the blonde’s throat. 

“I couldn’t forget if I tried,” Adora breathed as her fingers gripped onto Catra’s hips. “I will never forget our first time, Catra.” 

Despite having seen her naked plenty of times, Adora was absolutely breathless when both of them turned around to face each other. Her brain was struggling to form thoughts, Adora was completely at a loss for words. The fact that her heart was beating so fast she could hear it drumming in her ears didn’t quite help either, which only intensified when she noticed the deep blush that appeared on Catra’s freckled cheeks as seconds passed. From the edge of her vision Adora saw just the tip of Catra’s tail move somewhat nervously, while the brunette’s fluffy ears were perked up, one pointed at her, while the other swiveled back and forth. 

It was incredibly nervewrecking, which was ridiculous, it wasn’t as if Catra had never seen Adora in the nude before. Yet somehow it felt nothing like ever before, she felt vulnerable in a way. As they both turned around, she instantly forgot about her nerves and insecurities. Catra was overtaken by a feeling of awe as her eyes took in Adora, who had her hair down, waves of gold draped over her shoulders and collarbones. Adora’s irises seemed to be a bit darker than usual, the gray more intense than the blue. The blush on the blonde’s cheeks was nearly red, which was in stark contrast with the rest of the pale skin. Regardless of the countless of, mostly healed, scars that were scattered over Adora’s skin, Catra could only think of how breathtakingly beautiful Adora was. Catra was barely aware of the tip of her own tail that flicked nervously, or her toes that covered her other toes. Only when she felt her cheeks burn intensely, Catra figured she was likely blushing as heavily as Adora was. 

Neither of them was entirely certain who had moved first, but they were in each other’s arms with their bodies pressed together. They moved towards the bed, lost their balance and fell onto the mattress. The silence was broken by Adora who started giggling nervously, soon joined by Catra, until both of them were laughing until tears formed in their eyes. 

“What are we laughing about again?” 

“I honestly have no idea,” Catra replied, desperately trying to gasp for air in between laughter. 

Adora had worried about not knowing what to do so much and so often, it seemed even more ridiculous now. Her hands moved on their own, exploring Catra’s skin, while Catra’s hands caressed her skin after Adora had told Catra it was okay to touch her. 

There was laughter, clumsily bumping into each other, comfortable silence and loving smiles. Both of them were nervous, but they felt comfortable, not afraid to make mistakes. Time felt like it was non-existent as their lips cherished every bit of each other’s bodies, and their hands roamed over their skin softly and slowly. Eventually their nerves turned into ones of excitement and curiosity, their minds calm while taking in the other’s movements and sounds. 

The only word Adora could think of to describe the feeling she felt right now was ‘ _bliss_ ’. With Catra in her arms, their bodies still pressed together while they slowly caught their breaths and enveloped in each other’s warmth. She couldn’t stop from smiling lovingly as she played with one of Catra’s curls, twisting it around her finger repeatedly. 

Catra purred as Adora played with her hair, while she occasionally pressed a kiss below Adora’s ear. Her right arm was draped over her girlfriend’s stomach, and her hand loosely wrapped around Adora’s side. She had given up the fight to try and keep her eyes open a while ago, feeling herself drift off slowly but surely as Adora continued to play with her hair and press kisses on top of her head every now and then. 

A smile formed on her lips as Adora realized that Catra had fallen asleep, as the brunette’s breathing had evened out, along with Catra’s heartbeat. Adora let out a content sigh while squeezing Catra’s body a bit tighter to her own, still riding on her high. 

Catra let out a sigh before chuckling, “We were so nervous, it still kind of amazes me that we didn’t bump our heads into each other more than just once.” 

“Twice, actually.” Catra quirked a brow, then thought back, quickly realizing Adora was right. Not willing to admit it, she just shrugged. 

“Could have been a lot more, as nervous as we were.” 

“True. But as clumsily it was at first, it was really … special,” Adora responded with a goofy smile. “ _You_ are special,” she whispered as she cupped Catra’s cheek lovingly. Flutters once again filled her stomach as Catra blushed and leaned into the palm of her hand. 

“If you say so, _princess_.” 

“I _do_ say so, _fluffykins_.” Catra playfully nipped at Adora’s hand, which only resulted in Adora sticking out her tongue at her. “Fluffykins.”

“Now you’ve gone too far.”

“Oh really? What’cha gonna do about it, _fluffykins_?” 

“I have plenty of ideas,” Catra answered with a cheeky grin, her eyes narrowed playfully. 

Adora smirked as her hands slipped under the waistband of Catra’s sweatpants. “Such as?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Catra simply replied while taking hold of Adora’s lower arms. She pulled them away from her body and pinned them against the back of the chair, holding them there. “I could just bind your hands right there, while continuing working on the sketch.” 

Adora’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed at Catra. “You wouldn’t.” 

Catra chuckled, then looked Adora straight in the eyes. “Is that a challenge?” She could practically see the gears in Adora’s head turning as the blonde was thinking. 

“Maybe another time, my arms are not up for it right now,” Adora finally said. Catra’s grip on her arms instantly disappeared as the brunette pulled her hands away.

“Alright babe,” Catra whispered and leaned forward to press a kiss on Adora’s forehead. “I’ll keep you to that, consider it a date.” She smiled fondly when Adora giggled while nodding. 

As the water started to boil Catra called for Adora, while continuing to stir the sauce. Her lips curled up into a smile as a pair of familiar hands rested on her hips. 

“Yes, my love?” 

“Sap,” Catra scowled, secretly loving it. “Can you grab the pasta? The water started boiling just a minute ago.” 

“Sure thing, cutie.” Adora grabbed the tall glass jar with uncooked spaghetti off the top of the kitchen cabinets with ease, then proceeded to take a big handful out and gently place it into the pot with boiling water. “That should be enough, right?” When Catra stared at her with a blank expression, Adora shrugged questioningly.

“With your appetite, babe?” Catra snorted and bumped her elbow into Adora’s arm. “I would like to have some food too, if you don’t mind.” 

“So it isn’t enough?” Adora asked with surprise. As Catra shook her head, Adora let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Oh.” 

“Put at least another big handful in,” Catra clarified and winked at her girlfriend. “Yeah, that should be enough. At least for tonight’s dinner, we can always make more tomorrow.” 

As Adora finished the last bit of her food, Catra got up and brought both of their plates to the sink, quickly rinsed them off and left them in there to be cleaned later. She walked back towards the table and stopped behind Adora’s chair, and wrapped her arms the blonde from behind. “Glad you liked it.”

Adora reached up with her hand, for it to find Catra’s cheek and gently cup it. “Of course I did, I’m absolutely stuffed.” 

“Come on, then,” Catra said as she stepped back and held out her hand towards Adora invitingly. 

Adora got up wordlessly, took Catra’s hand in her own and let Catra lead them to the couch. Adora lowered herself onto the cushions, with one leg folded underneath her. Catra curled up beside her and placed her head on Adora’s lap, eliciting a fond giggle from her. 

“You comfy?” Catra nodded, her eyes already closed. “Have a nice nap.” Catra hummed before yawning, then snuggled even closer to Adora, purring as her girlfriend gently caressed her hair. 

As Catra napped, Adora picked up the book she’d been reading earlier, while continuing to brush her fingers through Catra’s hair. Every time Catra hummed softly, or when her ears twitched ever so gently, Adora’s lips curled up into a smile. She loved these moments with Catra, it was a routine they had developed; after dinner they would get comfy on the couch and Catra would nap while Adora would read a book until Catra woke up again. 

Adora winced when she suddenly felt Catra’s claws kneading into her leg, but upon looking down, Adora realized Catra was still very much asleep. She bit her lip and hoped Catra would retract her claws after just a few moments, though Catra kept kneading until Adora couldn’t handle it anymore. Catra’s claws were incredibly sharp and the skin of her thighs were quite sensitive; not the best combination. Adora put down her book and gently nudged Catra’s shoulder in an attempt to wake the brunette. “Catra, please wake up,” Adora tried, to no avail. “Catra, you’re kinda hurting me…” she tried again, a little louder this time. Adora let out a sigh and hoped she wouldn’t regret what she was about to do. She traced the edge of Catra’s ear softly, causing the brunette to flick her ears. As Adora softly blew down, Catra’s eyes sprung open and she started to hiss.

As her eyes looked up at Adora’s face, Catra stopped hissing right away, relaxing again. “I’m sorry Catra, but you wouldn’t wake up—” 

“What’s wrong?” Catra interrupted, her voice worried. Her worry grew as Adora’s nose scrunched up, eyes squeezed shut as the blonde winced. 

“Your claws…” Catra raised her brows in confusion, then looked at her hands and felt her face burn in embarrassment, instantly retracting her claws. 

“Shit! I’m sorry!” Her tail was between her legs as she recoiled, ashamed of having hurt Adora. 

“Catra, it’s alright,” Adora assured with a soothing voice. “You were sleeping, you didn’t do it on purpose—” 

“But I still hurt you—”

“No, your claws hurt me. But now I’m fine, see?” As Catra looked up, Adora was flashing a bright smile at her, which _did_ put her at ease. “Sorry to wake you from your nap…” 

“You have nothing to apologize for, babe,” Catra whispered and yawned while stretching out her arms and legs. She leaned down and peppered Adora’s thighs with kisses, to which her girlfriend started to giggle. As sudden as she had started, Catra stopped and brought her face to the same height as Adora’s, leaning their foreheads together. “Love you, you nerd.” 

“I love you too, _fluffykins_.” Catra rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, but couldn’t keep her lips from curling upwards. She would never admit it openly, but secretly Catra had started to grow fond of the pet name. 

“Alright, that’s it.” Adora’s eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Catra straightened herself, sitting up. “You’re gonna have to do the dishes.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“You’ve heard me, _princess_ ,” Catra replied with a smug grin. “If you’re nice, I might even help out.” She turned to face Adora again when the blonde huffed in protest. “Who gets to the kitchen first doesn’t have to do dishes!”

By the time Adora got up, Catra was clearly already in the kitchen, she never stood a chance to begin with. Adora simply shook her head with a chuckle and slowly made her way to the kitchen as well.

After putting the last plate onto the counter, Adora pulled the plug and let the dirty dishwater slowly disappear down the drain. “Woohoo, all done!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air with a big smile on her face. She turned around when she heard Catra applaud her comically slow, if Adora hadn’t known Catra as well, she would’ve thought the brunette was mocking her.

“I’m _so_ proud of you,” Catra teased and chuckled as her girlfriend bowed deeply. “You deserve a reward.” 

Adora’s smile grew even wider as she made her way over to Catra, who was sitting on the table, legs and tail swinging back and forth freely. “What kind of reward, hmm?” She placed her hands close to the edge of the table and leaned forward, her face just inches from Catra’s. The moment Catra leaned forward, Adora leaned back. “Well?” 

“Tease,” Catra complained, leaning forward again, which only resulted in Adora leaning back further. 

“You’re calling _me_ a tease?” Adora snorted as she shook her head. “Just tell me my reward.” Catra crossed her arms and turned her face away from Adora. “Ah, I see.” Adora shrugged and walked off, leaving the kitchen. 

“No! Adora, wait!” Catra called out, rushing after her girlfriend. As she rounded the corner, she crashed into Adora, who had apparently expected it.

“Changed your mind?” 

“Yes, close your eyes.” Adora narrowed her eyes, though she couldn’t keep the corners of her lips twitching upwards. After some initial hesitation, she obliged and closed her eyes like Catra had told her to.

Catra took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Her hands were trembling as she reached inside the pocket of her sweatpants, until her fingers found the small flat box, which had been in there all day. It was now or never, Catra grit her teeth as her mind yelled at her to calm down.

“Catra? Are you okay?” Catra flinched at the sound of Adora’s voice, which pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Yep, perfect. I mean, yeah I’m perfectly okay. Absolutely fine—” 

“Catra…” Catra let out a shaky sigh and nodded at herself, holding onto the tiny box tightly. 

“I’m alright, promise. No peeking!”

Adora chuckled as she held up her hands defensively, “I wasn’t going to!”

“Good, okay…” Once more, Catra inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. “You can open your eyes, but only look at me. Like, my face,” Catra said, internally swearing at herself as her voice gave away her nerves.

“As you wish, cutie,” Adora responded and opened her eyes, quickly finding Catra’s and looking into them with a loving smile decorating her lips. “Now I’m _really_ curious,” she said and bit her lower lip as if to try and contain her excitement. “But whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll _love_ it.”

Catra swallowed with effort, feeling her cheeks burn hot and her heartbeat in the base of her throat. “Okay so, I’m not _that_ great with words… But please, hear me out…” Adora nodded at her, waiting patiently with a smile still present on her face. “So, I’ve been thinking for a while and today was just… We’ve been through a lot and I don’t know what I’d do without you, really…” She let out a frustrated growl as she squeezed her eyes shut. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Catra, take your time,” Adora said soothingly, resting her hand against Catra’s cheek for a few moments. 

After a few deep breaths, Catra opened her eyes again to look straight into Adora’s. “Adora, you mean the world to me and I’ve regretted letting you go in the past. Countless of times I told myself how stupid I was to not have tried harder to stop you. And how stupid I was for yelling at you when you came back to apologize… I nearly lost you and I never want that to happen again, we are stronger together and you make me … You make me _happy_.” Catra swallowed as she saw tears welling up in Adora’s eyes. “Adora… I don’t even know if I got the right size, damn it— Would you—Would you please be my wife?” 

Adora’s vision was blurry by the tears in her eyes, her mind was completely blank while her heart raced faster than ever. She sucked in a breath as her brain finally processed what Catra had asked her. 

“You can look down now, by the way…” Catra mumbled nervously. 

Adora did look down and felt more tears escape from her eyes as Catra showed a tiny box, which she then proceeded to open. As her eyes took in a ring, Adora gasped. Her body moved on its own and flung itself at Catra, picking the brunette off the floor and spinning her around. 

“Adora, you still haven’t answered my question…” 

“Yes! Catra, I— You—” Adora shut herself up by putting Catra back down and kissing Catra passionately. As they broke the kiss, Adora leaned back to find Catra crying as well. Both of them started laughing, causing more tears to flow. 

“I wasn’t kidding by the way, I _really_ don’t know if I got the correct size…” Catra took the ring out of the box, her hands still trembling. Adora held out her hand, for Catra to put the ring on her finger. “Oh.” The ring refused to go over the second joint, and Catra let out a deflated sigh. “So much for trying to be romantic…”

“Catra, babe. We can get that fixed, don’t worry about it!” Adora assured, and cupped Catra’s face into her hands; the ring still on her finger. “It’s not the ring that counts, after all.” Adora kissed Catra’s nose and then kissed her on the lips. “If it makes any difference, I think it was _extremely_ romantic.” 

“Even though the stupid ring doesn’t fit?” Catra’s ears finally perked up as Adora chuckled as the blonde nodded. “So how about we seal the deal, huh?” She flashed Adora a playful smirk and felt her heart skip when Adora scooped her up and brought both of them to their bedroom. 

“Sounds perfect,” Adora answered with a cheeky grin before placing Catra on the bed and crawling on top of her. “So I can show my wife-to-be how much I love her.” Her heart fluttered at the sound of Catra’s giggling and her stomach tingled as she saw Catra’s freckled cheeks flush. 

“Love you too, nerd.” 

“I know.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So Serena came up with the idea that when they were in the Fright Zone, all the kids would draw/color a bunch occasionally. And it would be cute if they still enjoyed drawing and coloring, Catra actually got really good at it. 
> 
> The last part... It really took me by surprise, actually. But after Dave and Julia told me it wasn't 'lame' or whatever, I decided to go with it. Also; the last part was mainly written to the songs; 'Princess Prom', 'The battle for Bright Moon' and 'Heart pt. 2'
> 
> Hope you guys liked it!


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